Women catch up with men on purchasing pay scale

Female purchasing managers have caught up with men in the pay stakes, says a new survey from CIPS/Croner Reward.

Purchasing and Supply Rewards 2004 finds female purchasing managers now earn on average 4.5 per cent more than male purchasing managers. At all other job levels, the pay gap between male and female purchasing professionals is now insignificant.

The report says the gap in pay between male and female purchasing professionals has "all but disappeared". The survey of 1,500 purchasing practitioners found that the average pay for a female senior manager was £58,000, while for a male senior manager it was £55,500.

The salary for senior/middle managers was the same for both sexes at £38,000, although male middle managers were slightly better paid than women, £29,070 as compared with £29,000.

CIPS said the report showed that purchasing professionals were now being rewarded on ability alone.

A CIPS spokesperson said: "It is not about being male or female any more, but whether you are a good quality purchasing professional. This shows there are now just as many opportunities for females as males."

Pay parity, however, may not be reflected in equality of representation at senior levels.

Christina Langley, managing director of Langley Search and Selection, a purchasing recruitment agency, said: "The closing of the pay gap is welcome, but there are still very few females at the very highest level of procurement and supply chain. It is very unusual to find a female director of supply chain or procurement.

"Many senior women want to work part-time but find that there are few such opportunities at a senior level, so they drop out at middle management level and don't come back again."

Pay awards for men and women averaged 3 per cent last year, but the survey found that purchasing directors are now being paid more than marketing and sales directors.

Average purchasing director pay was £62,000, as compared with £60,030 in marketing and £60,000 in sales.

The survey also found that CIPS members earn up to £2,000 more than non-members.